I
would like to thank everyone for their acts of kindness while
I was recuperating from surgery. Thank you for the beautiful
flowers, cards, and phone calls – and the visit from Tom.

– Elaine Bower

DEAR
SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN CHRIST,

Thank
you very much for the lovely flowers. Their beauty and
fragrance have silently conveyed the boundless love of the
Father – love that has provided the only acceptable
substitute by whom we can be saved. I regret that I cannot be
an active member of Hope, but thank you for receiving me into
a membership of diligent workers for our Lord and Savior. May
God continue to bless us all. Sincerely,
– Virginia Cheshier

DEAR
HOPE CHURCH MEMBERS AND FRIENDS,

A
big thank you for the prayers and support during my recent
knee surgery. I so enjoyed the beautiful flowers delivered to
me by the Deacons and the many cards wishing me well. Thanks,
Tom, for your visits while I was in the hospital, rehab, and
the follow-up calls when I returned home. I am so blessed to
be a part of such a wonderful, caring church family.
– Helen Herge

newsletter
mailing on November 1. The Church Office must receive your articles by
the deadline if they are to appear in the November issue. Thank you for helping
us see that the newsletter is published in a timely manner

WORSHIP COMMITTEE NEWS

a
friendly atmosphere for infants and toddlers, is located beside the Control Room
and has a live audio
feed
of the worship services.

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CHANCEL
FLOWERS

HAVE
YOU NOTICED
how beautiful the chancel flowers have been the past few weeks? The Flower
Committee has made arrangements with Angelic
Flowers
to provide the chancel flowers for the cost of $50. The owner of Angelic
Flowers has given Hope two beautiful brass colored containers to enhance
the flowers. The Worship Committee and Flower Committee wish to thank
everyone who has provided the beautiful flower arrangements for our
worship services and shut-ins. The 2009
Flower Calendar
is now available on the stand in the Narthex. Now is the time to sign up
if you wish to reserve a special date.

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"HANGING
OF THE GREENS"

A
FUN EVENT DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON
here at Hope Church is the “Hanging of the Greens.” Everyone is invited
to assist the Flower Committee in decorating the Sanctuary for Christmas.
“Hanging of the Greens” will take place after the 10:30 a.m. Worship
service on Sunday, November 23. Lunch will be served in Friendship Hall –
pizza, sandwiches, cold drinks, and dessert. Please plan to join us for a
really good time!

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MEMBERSHIP
NOTES

The Membership Committee
is
planning a New
Member Brunch which
is scheduled for Sunday, September 28, at 9:30 a.m. in Friendship Hall. ALL NEW
MEMBERS since last year’s brunch, February 25, 2007, are invited. You will
soon receive an invitation in the mail. The brunch will be a time to socialize
with each other and to informally meet members of Session and the Board of
Deacons. Pictures will be taken for the church records.

MISSIONS
UPDATE

THE
BOARD OF DEACONS
of Hope Presbyterian Church would like to thank God for the
opportunity to reach out to those in need in our community. With
your gifts, the Deacons’ Fund has made the following allocations:

Also,
monies will be distributed to the following organizations in the
near future.

Salvation
Army – $500

Family
Emergency Service – $500

Haley
Center – $500

Big
Brothers/Big Sisters – $500

With
your outstanding support we will be able to fund other local
agencies who now so desperately need continuous help. We thank you,
and God bless you for all you have done and will continue to do in
the future.

SUNSHINE
DREAM VILLAGE

TEN OF
OUR MEMBERS had
a wonderful visit to Sunshine
Dream Village
earlier this summer. A photo gallery, featuring our visit, was
displayed a few Sundays ago and is available for the future.
Sunshine Foundation helps give dreams to chronically ill or abused
children. If you know of a child with a life-threatening illness
or who has suffered abuse and has a “dream” for a special time
in Central Florida, please consider referring them to the Sunshine
Foundation. Gail Dillon, Development Associate, is based at the
village and will be happy to take calls and give additional
information or applications for considerations for a dream to be
granted. Her number is 863-424-4188. Further information about
this wonderful group or any of the organizations we support is
available from one of your deacons. We have brochures on several
of the organizations.

VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES

Besides
your monetary donations, there are many ways you can be of
service to these organizations by offering your time, energy and
talents. To highlight a couple of examples:

Anchor
House is
seeking male volunteers to work as mentors to the young men in
their program. Please call Don Cox (863-665-1916) if interested.

Meals
on Wheels is
always seeking drivers to deliver meals. There is also a need
for help in the kitchen, thrift shop and other areas. Call Meals
on Wheels (299-1616) if you can be of service. All the other
agencies we support also rely greatly on volunteer help. Please
consider assisting if you can. You will truly be blessed. Thank
you.

BLOOD
BANK – HOW IT WORKS!

THE
MID-FLORIDA MEDICAL SERVICES BLOOD BANK
is a member of the American Association of Blood Banks (A.A.B.B..).
Hope Church members regularly donate blood to this blood bank.
Units of blood credited to Hope's account are available for you
or your family member and can be authorized to be deducted from
Hope's account. This can be done after the patient has been
discharged from the hospital. To arrange for a unit or units to
be deducted from our church account please contact PeggyAnn
White (324-6747) or Marsha Long (324-6307). If they are
unavailable, you may contact the church office (324-6382). Also,
please note, Mid-Florida Blood Bank can work with any hospital
whose blood bank uses the "credit system" and is a
member of the A.A.B.B. This would include out-of-town and out of
state hospitals. We hope you do donate blood if you are able,
but this is not a requirement in order to receive under the
church's account. Mid-Florida Blood Bank can be contacted at
863-297-1840, if you have any questions.

UPCOMING
EVENTS

November
30 –
Get fired up for another spectacular Bar-B-Q featuring the Swamp
Boys. Proceeds will go to support the Deacons’ Fund/Community
Missions.

Fall
Family Fun Day
is a new event under consideration. More information and details
to come.

Name
Tag Sunday – September
7 . . . Early worshipers obtain name tags before church and
enjoy fellowship and refreshment after church. Ten-thirty
worshipers arrive a little early, get a name tag and meet and
greet new friends while enjoying orange juice fellowship. Tables
will be set up on both sides of walk area where name tags will
be provided.

FELLOWSHIP Each Sunday from 9:15 - 11:30 a.m. on the Patio. Volunteers are needed! Sign up for a Sunday when you may host a Fellowship Time. You might celebrate an anniversary or birthday, or remember
a loved one. This is a great time to share – between worship services – when you may meet and greet Hope friends. The coffee will be made . . . just supply the juice and goodies. Choose your date now, and sign up in the “Fellowship Notebook” in the adult library.

All
women of the church are invited to attend any of the above circles, as well
as the special gatherings held in Friendship Hall. As the
opportunities arise, details will be found in the Sunday bulletin and on the
Web site.

Notes from the Music Department

The Music Department
will
resume its activities in late August and early September. Please read on for
opportunities to participate.

Chancel Choir
rehearsals will resume on Wednesday, August 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Choir Room.
Membership in the Chancel Choir is open to all interested singers. For
additional information, please call Ada Gribble at 398-9840 or leave a message
at the church office.

Youth Choir
will
resume Wednesday, September 10, 5 - 6p.m. in
the Choir Room. Youth choir activities are provided for children in the second
through seventh grades.

Bells of Hope
will
rehearse on Thursday, September 11 at7:00
p.m. in the Bell Choir Room. Musicians who are interested in learning to ring
bells are asked to contact Ada Gribble at 398-9840 or leave a message at the
church office.

– Ada Gribble, Director of Music

VBS
kicked off our summer fun! Several youth and volunteers were involved with
VBS, helping the little ones make crafts, singing songs, dancing, and rejoicing
in the Lord. Children who visited the rainforest had many adventures in
the tree top canopy playing games, while learning to share and take care of
God's creations. They also listened to stories from the Bible and learned
how to share, care, love, and praise.

A
very big thanks to our many volunteers who made this VBS extra special!!

Hope Creative School enjoyed
a fun filled summer program. From June 16 through August 1, between
25 and 40 kids were in attendance each day. The program featured weekly
themes such as cooking, science, art, and even Christmas in July. Santa
even took time out of his summer vacation to pass out gifts to the kids on July
25. He was looking rather tan and even a little slimmer; must have been
those power walks on the beach.

Hope's
Kindergarteners returned to school on August 18, and once again
(like 2004) the continuation was delayed by a girl named
Fay. But everyone came back with an eagerness to learn.

Hope
Preschoolers Open House was August 28. Children were able
to meet their teachers and new friends. They could also
take a tour of the classrooms, Spanish, Music, PEP (Physical
Education for Pre-schoolers), Computer Lab/Children's Library,
and see the Sanctuary where Chapel is held on Wednesday
mornings. T-shirts were being sold and children could
enroll in Tae Kwon Do and Gymanstics. It was a very busy
morning!

Preschool
starts September 2, and we know there will be lots of laughs and
tears. We are so blessed to have all these precious
children with us.

Upcoming
Events:

9/25
- Evening Open House, 6:30pm

1/2
- Community Helper Day

10/6-10
- Scholastic Book Fair

10/13-16
- St. Jude Children's Hospital Trike-a-Thon

10/24
- Grandparents Day

10/13
- Trick or Trunk

Please
feel free to join us for any of these events. If you have
any questions or would like to visit the school, please contact
Director Julie Wilson at (863) 324-6377.

Many
gifts are being added to the Sunrise Center! And each week we seem
to find another box of books left by friends! Thanks to you all!!

New
gift books recently given

In
Memory of Martha McGee:

“Piper’s
Twisted Tale”, given by Jane Kivett

“Piper Steals the Show”, given by Gladys St John Moyer

“I Am a
Promise”, given by Don & Ann Wainscott

In
Memory of Mary Jane Wainscott:

“My
Father’s Angels”, given by Don & Ann Wainscott

Other
books added:

“She’s
My Mommy Too!” an Alaskan tale, given by Barry and Nancy Porter

“Granite,”
a special sled dog in Alaska. The Sunrise Center received a copy autographed
by the author, “To
the children of Hope”!
This book will have a special interest to all ages and will be fun to share
with families.

We
also have received books from many of the Hope Creative School teachers.
Many ‘like new’ book gifts have appeared on the Library desk, with no
names attached! We like to know the donors and enjoy marking the books to
allow the children to thank the people when they see them. The children are
very thankful for all the gifts given that help keep Sunrise Center alive
and well! God loves a cheerful giver, and Hope Presbyterian Church’s
Sunrise Center and Hope’s children love your gifts of books!!

The
Children’s Library has been humming this Spring! Sunday Morning during the
10:30 a.m. worship service, children have been having extended activities.
During this storytime, library book circulation has increased, with many
more books being enjoyed! Grandparents, take note . . . be sure to stock up
with books for visiting grandchildren! Thursday mornings continue to see all
the Hope Creative School students visiting the Sunrise Center, selecting
books to take home and read with their parents or have Storytime with
volunteers from Hope Church! We also share weekly giggles, always a surprise
comment by the kids!

Have
you seen the new collection displayed in the Sunrise Center! Stop by to
enjoy the beautiful Noah’s Ark collection given by Bob and Cindy Steele.
The children will enjoy this collection as they study the Bible story of
Noah. (Our summer Children’s Church, led by Delight Carmichael and Youth,
have 10:30 a.m. gatherings each Sunday.)

Special
thanks to Fletcher and Bernice Brown for their subscription of National
Geographic “KIDS” magazine for many years.

Also,
thanks to all the families sharing their gently used books and videos by
adding them to our over 2,000 collection! Scott, Glenda, Mitch and Hannah
McDivitt added quite a group of books which will be popular with the
children!

As
you visit the library, notice the new computers along the window wall. They
are to be used both in the school and by the Christian Education Department.
Our library is growing and changing every day. Please come visit often. And
remember, grandparents are always welcome to have a supply of books for the
visiting “grands!” Enjoy this facility, and help us make it a Hope
Church Family Room! For questions, call 439-2737.

–
Ann Wainscott, Librarian

Theda
Balliet Adult Library

All
the wonderful National
Geographic books
donated by Irving and Carolyn Wheeler have now been coded and placed in
our library. As you enter, look to the right and on the second shelf up
you will find this collection. Because of the various sizes, some are
stacked and some are standing; each one is a wonder of word and
photography. Stop in and enjoy all the great offerings our church library
has available.

– Florence Saunders, Librarian

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Prayer
of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord,
make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow
love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where
there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there
is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to
be consoled, as to console; To be understood as to understand; To be
loved as to love For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning
that we are pardoned; It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

The
2008
COMMITTEE IS HARD AT WORK.If
you know of someone or if you would be willing to serve as a church officer,
please contact a member of the Nominating Committee or call the church office
(324-6382). Please keep in mind candidatesmust
be church members.

Summer
rains have been wonderful for our gardens. We’ve seen lush new growth; and
flowers blooming their hearts out. Our native plants in The Carolyn and Irving
Wheeler Columbarium Garden have flourished, with wild flowers blooming and
putting out seed for next season. Butterflies are making their home in the new
Marcia Jones Butterfly Garden, while we are all learning to identify the
butterflies, and match up caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly! We’ll be
working on a color poster to help us all keep track of these new beautiful
visitors.

Along
with the rain have come the weeds! The next time you “don’t” see a weed,
you can thank Jean Adams, Jan Carmichael, Susan Lee (and her sidekick Ralee
Blackwell), and Marsha and J.J. Long. They once again braved the brutal heat
to tidy up the Gardens this summer.

sod
was also added to the unpaved parking lot to improve the appearance of our
east entrance, as well as keeping sand out of our sandals as we walk from our
cars! This area is temporarily blocked off to allow the sod to establish.

As
always, the Gardens are supported by loving donations and by volunteers!